Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-11a
Abandonment of unit by tenant.
Operative Text
(a) If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental in mitigation of damages. (b) If the landlord fails to use reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental, the rental agreement is deemed to be terminated by the landlord as of the date the landlord has notice of the abandonment.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11a, when a tenant abandons a dwelling unit, the landlord is not free to simply let the unit sit vacant and collect ongoing rent. Instead, the law requires the landlord to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit at a fair market rate in order to limit the financial harm caused by the abandonment. If the landlord does not take those reasonable steps, the rental agreement is treated as though the landlord—not the tenant—terminated it, effective from the date the landlord learned of the abandonment.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11a places an active duty on property owners and managers to pursue re-rental of an abandoned unit rather than allowing damages to accumulate against a departing tenant. Compliant operators typically document when they received notice of the abandonment, advertise the unit promptly, and keep records of their re-leasing efforts and any offers received. Maintaining this paper trail is generally important because the statute shifts the consequences of inaction squarely onto the landlord.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11a can be relevant to tenants who have left a unit before their lease ended and are later pursued for unpaid rent. Because the law requires landlords to actively seek a replacement tenant, a landlord's failure to do so may be raised as a defense to a claim for ongoing rent damages. Tenants in this situation may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand how this mitigation requirement applies to their circumstances.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.